Reversible Congestive Heart Failure Related to Profound Hypocalcemia Secondary to Hypoparathyroidism

A 71-year-old man presented with acute pulmonary edema related to new onset of severe left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction, 30%). His symptoms did not improve with emergency therapy with diuretics and dobutamine. He was noted to be severely hypocalcemic (5.5 mg/dL) and subsequently showed dramatic improvement in symptoms and ejection fraction (58%) with correction of hypocalcemia with intravenous calcium and calcitriol replacement. Hypocalcemia was related to surgically induced hypoparathyroidism. The patient had been instructed to decrease calcium supplements and to discontinue calcitriol 3 months previously due to hypercalcemia. Additional factors that may have contributed to hypocalcemia included vitamin D deficiency, alendronate therapy for osteoporosis, and chronic kidney disease. We concluded that the patient's congestive heart failure was precipitated by severe hypocalcemia and resolved with correction of hypocalcemia. Hypocalcemia is a rare cause of reversible congestive heart failure that should be in the differential diagnosis in any patient presenting with heart failure and not responding to traditional therapy.